Iconic Cats: All 9 Subspecies of Tigers Iconic Cats: All 9 Subspecies of Tigers By Live Science Staff | November 16, 2010 02:39pm ET MORE Sumatran Tiger Credit: © Iorboaz, dreamstime Tigers are the largest members of the cat family (Felidae) and one of the most charismatic endangered species on the planet. Over the last century, tiger numbers have fallen by about 95 percent and tigers now survive in 40 percent less of the area they occupied just a decade ago, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Tigers have the species name Panthera tigris. There are nine subspecies of tigers, three of which are extinct. A meeting set to begin in Russia on Sunday (Nov. 21) will examine some of the issues facing tigers in the wild and efforts to better conserve the six surviving tiger subspecies. Here we look at what sets each of these species apart. Amur (or Siberian) tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) Credit: David Lawson / WWF-UK.

Amur tigers (also known as Siberian, Manchurian, Ussurian, or Northeast China tigers) are the largest of the tiger subspecies. Males can grow up to more 10.5 feet (3.3 m) from head to tail and weigh up to 660 pounds (300 kilograms). Females are smaller, reaching just 8.5 feet (2.6 m) in length and about 200 to 370 pounds (100 to 167 kilograms) in weight. Amur tigers have paler orange fur than the other tiger species and brown instead of black stripes. They have white chests and bellies and a white ruff of fur around their necks. According to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Save the Tiger Fund, wild Amur tigers are found in two main populations in in the Russian Far East, the primary population of about 450 individuals covers 60,000 square miles (156,000 sq km) in Primosky and Khabarovski Krais, and another small population of about 35 individuals occurs on the Russia-China border and into northeast China.

Officials representing China's Jilin province and Russia's Primorsky province, areas just north of the Korean peninsula, recently signed an agreement to set up a protected area straddling their countries' common border to safeguard the tiger, which is listed as Endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. Like many other threatened species, Amur tigers are being bred in zoos around the world to boost their populations and maintain healthy genetic stocks. Amur tiger triplets born in September recently made their public debut at the Pittsburgh Zoo. The Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo also has a set of Amur tiger cubs. Indian (or Bengal) tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) Credit: stock.xchng The most numerous of the tiger species, the Bengal tiger is found in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. India is home to the largest population, estimated to between 2,500 and 3,750 individuals, according to the Save the Tigers Fund. While most Bengal tigers have the coloration typically associated with their species, a recessive gene for coloration causes some to be cream or white in color instead of orange, according to the WWF.

These "white" tigers are rarely found in the wild. Wild tigers dwell in dry and wet deciduous forests, grassland and temperate forests and mangrove forests. While this subspecies has more individuals left in the wild than its brethren, it is still listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) Credit: © Xiaobin Qiu, dreamstime Found in central and eastern China, the South China tiger is listed as Critically Endangered on the Red List one step higher than Endangered. According to the WWF, the South China tiger is estimated to be functionally extinct. Currently 47 South China tigers live in 18 zoos, all in China, the WWF says. Exact numbers of wild tigers, if there are any left, are unknown. Only 40 years ago there were reputed to be more than 4,000 tigers, but the government declared them pests, and they were hunted, according to the Save the Tigers Fund.

Field surveys conducted in 1987 and 1990 found evidence of a few tigers in the remote mountains of Guangdong, Hunan, and Fujian Provinces of South China, though no tigers were seen, Save the Tigers Fund says. The evidence came from anecdotal stories from hunters. Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni) Credit: © Sharkphoto, dreamstime The Malayan tiger was only identified as being a separate subspecies from the Indochinese tiger in 2004. It is very similar to the Indochinese tiger, but is smaller in size. Malayan tigers are found in the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests of the southern tip of Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia. The subspecies "jacksoni" was named to honor Peter Jackson, the former Chair of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group. The IUCN lists the species as Endangered on its Red List.

Indo-Chinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti) Credit: WCS Also known as Corbett's tiger, after British hunter and naturalist Jim Corbett, this subspecies is found in Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam and formerly in China. They are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Indo-Chinese tigers are a bit smaller and darker than Bengal tigers, with shorter, narrower stripes. Males average 9 feet (3 m) from head to tail and weigh about 400 pounds (180 kilograms). Females are smaller, measuring about 8 feet (2.4 m) in length and weighing approximately 250 pounds (115 kilograms), according to the Save the Tigers Fund. These tigers live in remote forests in hilly and mountainous terrain, which makes it difficult for scientists to gain access to their habitat. As a result, relatively little is known about the status of these tigers in the wild. A 1998 assessment put the number of Indo-Chinese tigers in the wild at an estimated 736 to 1,225 individuals, according to the Save the Tigers Fund.

Genetic analyses in 2004 showed that Indo-Chinese tigers were a separate subspecies from Malayan tigers. Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) Credit: © Iorboaz, dreamstime Found only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the Sumatran tiger is listed as Critically Endangered on the Red List. Sumatran tigers are protected by law in Indonesia, with tough provisions for jail time and steep fines, according to the WWF. But despite conservation and anti-poaching efforts, tigers are still hunted and tiger parts and skins remain in high demand. The Sumatran tiger has the darkest coat of all tigers. Its broad, black stripes are closely spaced and often doubled. Unlike the Siberian tiger, it has striped forelegs. Sumatran tigers are the smallest tiger subspecies. Males average 8 feet (2.4 meters) in length from head to tail and weigh about 260 pounds (120 kilograms). Females are closer to 7 feet (2 m) in length and weight about 200 pounds (90 kilograms).

The Indonesian Zoological Parks' Association (PKBSI) has been developing a conservation plan, and Sumatran tigers exist in Indonesia, North American, Australasian and European zoos. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park has two female Sumatran tiger cubs born in October. Bali tiger (Panthera tigris balica) - EXTINCT Credit: Public domain One of the three extinct subspecies of tiger, the Bali tiger went extinct in the 1940's, according to the Save the Tigers Fund. Tigers were last positively recorded in western Bali in the late 1930s, according to the IUCN. The causes of extinction include hunting, loss of forest habitat and loss of their prey base. None of these tigers exist in captivity. Javan tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) - EXTINCT Credit: public domain This now-extinct species inhabited the Indonesian island of Java into the 1980's. Tigers were last positively recorded from Java's Meru Betiri National Park in 1976, and likely disappeared from much of the rest of the island by the 1940s, according to the IUCN.

Caspian tiger (Panthera tigris virgata) - EXTINCT Credit: public domain The Caspian tiger (also called the Hyrcanian tiger or Turan tiger) became extinct in the 1970's. Caspian Tigers and their large ungulate prey were found in the sparse forest habitats and riverine corridors west (Turkey) and south (Iran) of the Caspian Sea and west through Central Asia into the Takla Makan desert of Xinjiang, China, according to the IUCN. Its extinction can be attributed to hunting of both tigers and their prey, habitat loss and conversion, and increased vulnerability of small populations. Author Bio Live Science Staff, For the science geek in everyone, Live Science offers a fascinating window into the natural and technological world, delivering comprehensive and compelling news and analysis on everything from dinosaur discoveries, archaeological finds and amazing animals to health, innovation and wearable technology. We aim to empower and inspire our readers with the tools needed to understand the world and appreciate its everyday awe. Live Science Staff, on Tiger | Species | WWF Species Adopt a Tigerh Overview After a century of decline, tiger numbers are on the rise.

At least 3,890 tigers remain in the wild, but much more work is needed to protect this species that’s still vulnerable to extinction. EN Status e Habitats Tropical rainforests, evergreen forests, temperate forests, mangrove swamps, grasslands and savannas The largest of all the Asian big cats, tigers rely primarily on sight and sound rather than smell. They typically hunt alone and stalk prey. A tiger can consume up to 88 pounds of meat at one time. On average, tigers give birth to two or three cubs every two years. If all the cubs in one litter die, a second litter may be produced within five months. Tigers generally gain independence at two years of age and attain sexual maturity at age three or four for females and at four or five years for males. Juvenile mortality is high however—about half of all cubs do not survive more than two years. Tigers have been known to reach the age of 26 years in the wild. Males of the largest subspecies, the Amur (Siberian) tiger, may weigh up to 660 pounds.

For males of the smallest subspecies—the Sumatran tiger—upper range is at around 310 pounds. Within each subspecies, males are heavier than females. Tigers are mostly solitary, apart from associations between mother and offspring. Individual tigers have a large territory, and the size is determined mostly by the availability of prey. Although individuals do not patrol their territories, they visit them over a period of days or weeks and mark their domain with urine and feces. Across their range, tigers face unrelenting pressures from poaching, retaliatory killings and habitat loss. They are forced to compete for space with dense and often growing human populations. Map data provided by IUCN Places Malayan Tiger Why They Matter This big cat is both admired and feared by people around the world. If forests are emptied of every last tiger, all that will remain are distant legends and zoo sightings. The tiger has evolved over thousands of years. Currently, this big cat is being trapped, skinned and pushed out of its home. Those left in the wild cling to survival in a few patches of forest scattered across Asia. To save tigers, we need to protect the forest habitats across Asia where they live.

By saving biologically diverse places, we allow tigers to roam and preserve the many other endangered species that live there. In order to protect just one tiger, we have to conserve around 25,000 acres of forest. As a large predator, the tiger plays a key role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. These ecosystems supply both nature and people with fresh water, food, and health—which means that by saving tigers, we are helping people too. Tigers can directly help some of the world’s poorest communities. Where tigers exist, tourists go. And where tourists go, money can be made by communities with few alternatives for income. Tiger conservation projects also help provide alternative livelihoods for rural communities that are not only more sustainable, but can raise income levels too. Threats Effects of Climate Change Mangrove forest in the Sundarbans. One of the world’s largest tiger populations is found in the Sundarbans—a large mangrove forest area shared by India and Bangladesh on the northern coast of the Indian Ocean. This area harbors Bengal tigers and protects coastal regions from storm surges and wind damage. However, rising sea levels caused by climate change threaten to wipe out these forests and the last remaining habitat of this tiger population.

According to a WWF study, without mitigation efforts, projected sea level rise—about a foot by 2070—could destroy nearly the entire Sundarbans tiger habitat. What WWF Is Doing Installing a camera trap in Tesso Nilo National Park, Indonesia. Camera traps are everyday cameras, armed with infrared sensors that take a picture whenever they sense movement in the forest. We can save wild tigers. In 2010, the 13 tiger range countries committed to TX2—to double wild tiger numbers by 2022, the next Year of the Tiger. WWF is driving TX2 forward. Zero poaching WWF works to enforce zero tolerance for tiger poaching across Asia. We help create dedicated enforcement units in each landscape and install the best new technologies to assist local agencies in achieving maximum results. We invest in stronger law enforcement by improving the effectiveness of wildlife rangers, training personnel from enforcement agencies and empowering community patrols and enforcement networks. Protecting and Connecting Tiger Habitat Tigers need landscapes to thrive, and our work to protect and connect their fragile habitat is based on rigorous scientific analysis. WWF has chosen places to focus its resources based on the best available science.

These areas are where densities of prey and tigers are at their highest. The locations encompass tiger corridors that link tiger sites within landscapes. Our work includes building local capacity to manage protected areas and coordinating with partners to manage core tiger areas and corridors. Monitoring Tigers and Their Prey Monitoring tigers and their prey is essential to achieving our goal of doubling wild tiger populations. By employing camera traps, tracking technologies and DNA collected from scat (droppings), we scrutinize the progress of tiger populations in order to adapt our strategies and make conservation decisions based on strong science and field experience. Building Political Will WWF helps governments across the 13 tiger range countries to respect wild tigers as a valuable asset that can enhance their development agendas. By linking tiger conservation with forest preservation and carbon sequestration efforts, tiger range nations and their partners can demonstrate their commitment to promoting a healthy environmental and economic future. Eliminating Tiger Trade Trade in tiger parts and products is a major threat to wild tiger survival. Together with TRAFFIC, the global wildlife trade monitoring network, we implement strategies to stop wildlife criminal networks, help governments shut down black markets, and change consumer behavior. We conduct investigations to document the tiger trade, catalyze action against it, and train enforcement agencies.

We continue to champion transnational wildlife enforcement networks and build strategies to reduce demand for tiger parts and products. Tiger Subspecies Pictures -- National Geographic Animals Bengal Tiger Photograph by Steve Winter Scientists estimate only about 3,000 wild tigers are left in the entire world. Tiger territory once stretched from Turkey to the Russian Far East and just a century ago, before the terrible toll of hunting and habitat destruction, 100,000 tigers inhabited the wilds of Asia. Now their descendents hang on in a tiny fraction of their former range, prowling fragmented pockets of habitat where keeping enough tigers alive to breed is increasingly difficult. Three of the nine tiger subspecies (Bali, Javan, and Caspian tigers) became extinct during the 20th century, leaving only the half dozen living species featured in this gallery. Recent studies show in just three tiger generations (21 to 27 years) the big cats' population has shrunk by 50 percent and their range has also been halved. Shrinking space and rampant poaching for traditional Chinese medicine present a formidable challenge to the future of wild tigers.

About half of all living tigers are Bengal tigers (pictured here), sometimes called Indian tigers because most live in that nation. Others are in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, China, and Myanmar. Given space and prey Panthera tigris tigris can thrive in many types of forests or grasslands, and the Bengal is the only subspecies that also inhabits mangrove forests, in the Sundarbans island group in the Bay of Bengal. Tigers tend to be solitary animals but where food is plentiful they can be found in relatively great densities, which makes India perhaps the best place to spot them. Bengal tigers are the world's most likely to enjoy an abundance of pigs, deer, and other hoofed prey. An average of 18 tigers can occupy 39 square miles in India's Corbett Tiger Reserve, while only a single Sumatran tiger could survive in that same area, and a male Amur tiger would need 10 times that amount, or 386 square miles. Big Cats Initiative National Geographic is working to avert the extinction of tigers, lions, cheetahs, and other big cats with the Big Cats Initiative , a comprehensive program that supports innovative projects.

Learn how you can help save these animals. Siberian Tiger Photograph by Konrad Wothe/Minden Pictures Siberian tigers , also known as Amur tigers, prowl not Siberian taiga but the chilly forests of eastern Russia. On the brink of extinction and numbering just a few dozen during the mid-20th century, some 400 to 500 of these cats live today in Russia, with a few more in China and possibly North Korea. This subspecies' historical comeback is a remarkable conservation success story that gives some hope for the future of all wild tigers. A female tiger can have 15 cubs over a lifetime and there is still some room for healthy populations to roam—but only if humans can curb poaching and make a commitment to let them live. That may be easiest to achieve in the Amur tiger's vast northern woodlands, which offer fewer human residents and more space to be wild. In fact the Russian Far East is home to the biggest unfragmented tiger habitat left in the world. The tigers in this vast realm grow large as well, feeding on deer and boar to stretch nearly 11 feet long and topping the scales at 660 pounds.

Recent genetic studies suggest that the extinct Caspian tiger (Panthera tigris virgata), last seen in the 1970s, was in fact the same subspecies as the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica). If so, this same subspecies stretched across a vast area from the Russian Far East, west through the forests lying north of Mongolia's steppes, and into modern Turkey and Iran. Indochinese Tiger Photograph by Steve Winter Genetic studies have suggested that the Indochinese tiger may be the ancestral species of all tigers, the thick branch from which the other subspecies stemmed off between 108,000 and 72,000 years ago. As late as the 1990s, tigers were thought to be relatively common in this region of Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and southwestern China, though they hadn't been extensively studied. Today the IUCN reports that the cats are on the verge of critically endangered status , with no known evidence of breeding tigers in Cambodia or Vietnam and just a handful hanging on elsewhere. A total of only perhaps 300 Indochinese tigers live in the wild.

Aggressive poaching has decimated both the Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti) and the populations of the wild pigs, deer, banteng, and other large bovids on which they depend as prey. Economic development projects in the region—such as roads, dams, and mines—have also put the squeeze on some cats, though large tracts of good tropical forests remain here, which may provide a hopeful habitat if effective protections are put in place. ( Learn about National Geographic's Big Cats Initiative .) Malayan Tiger Photograph by Joel Sartore Perhaps 500 Malayan tigers live in the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula (Malaysia and Thailand), but their tropical rain forest habitat is dwindling. As trees fall for farms and other development these tigers increasingly come into conflicts with people—such as when they prey on livestock—and often pay with their lives. Tigers are sparsely scattered on the Malay Peninsula, occurring where small pockets of forest or vegetation are isolated enough to hold them and can provide enough prey to nourish them.

It's estimated that only one or two Malayan tigers can live in a 39-square-mile territory here, because deer, boar, and other tiger food is thin on the ground. But these cats do have some humans on their side. The Global Tiger Initiative has commended the Malaysian government for its plan to connect tiger populations with wildlife corridors, making breeding more viable, and to double the numbers of its national animal by 2022. Only in 2004 did genetic studies establish Panthera tigris jacksoni as a subspecies separate from their Indochinese tiger relatives on the Asian mainland. To the naked eye the coloration, patterns, skull shapes, and other physical characteristics between these two subspecies are nearly identical. Sumatran Tiger Photograph by Joel Sartore More than a thousand tigers prowled the Indonesian island of Sumatra when the animals were surveyed in 1978. Today, fewer than half that number survive here and those cats are under siege by poachers and ceaseless deforestation of their home forests fueled by the pulp, paper, and palm oil industries.

A 2004 report from TRAFFIC , the IUCN/WWF effort to track the illegal wildlife trade, suggested that poachers were killing at least 40 of the critically endangered animals every year. The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) is the last of the “island tiger” subspecies. The neighboring Indonesian islands of Java and Bali were once home to their own distinct tigers, but the Bali tiger (Panthera tigris balica) and the Javan tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) each died out during the 20th century. Conservationists are working hard to help their Sumatran relatives avoid the same fate. South China Tiger Photograph courtesy Lonely Planet Time may have already run out for the South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis), which hasn't been documented in the wild since the early 1970s.

While a few individuals may still survive, the subspecies is possibly extinct in the wild—though in the 1950s its population was estimated at a (possibly quite inflated) 4,000 individuals, which would have been more than all the wild tigers living today. South China tigers were victims of eradication campaigns during China's Great Leap Forward era of the 1950s and 1960s. Protection came in 1979, when hunting was banned, and China instituted more active conservation measures in the 1990s, but by that time populations had fallen irrecoverably. Some conservationists maintain that not enough protected, undisturbed land remains in the region to house a viable breeding population. Not everyone agrees. A group called Save China's Tigers , working with state forestry authorities, has launched a controversial “rewilding” project in which cats from the subspecies' tiny captive population are transported to a South African reserve where they can breed and learn to survive for possible reintroduction in China. Though many conservationists take a dim view of the prospect, as of 2012 a dozen cubs had been bred and the effort was still moving forward.

Tiger Species of the World | Tiger Species July 25, 2011 03:53pm ET MORE The Tiger Family Credit: Eric Gevaert | Dreamstime The beautiful and regal tiger (Panthera tigris) has nine current subspecies, three of which are extinct. Here are the six species that remain — all of which are endangered or critically endangered , according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. This photo of two Sumatran tiger cubs taking a rest was taken on Oct. 5, 2010. Sumatran Tiger Credit: Jan Pokorný | Dreamstime The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) is named so because it can only be found on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. There are about 400 to 500 of the tigers left, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Tigers are the world's largest cat, and the Sumatran tiger is smallest of all living tiger subspecies.

Bengal Tiger Credit: Picstudio | Dreamstime The Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), also known as the Royal Bengal tiger, is primarily found in India and Bangladesh but also lives in Nepal, Bhutan and Burma. The most common subspecies of tiger, the Bengal tiger is also the second largest of all living tiger subspecies . Their orange coat can have brown or black stripes, with each cat having its own unique striping patterns — similar to how no two humans have the same fingerprints. Endangered Beauty Credit: Lorboaz | Dreamstime The critically endangered Sumatran tiger possesses the darkest coat of all tigers. Its broad, black stripes are closely spaced and often doubled, and unlike the Siberian tiger, it has striped forelegs. White Bengal Tiger Credit: Daniel Alvarez | Dreamstime A Bengal tiger's orange coat can have brown or black stripes, with each cat having its own unique striping patterns — similar to how no two humans have the same fingerprints. This photo of a white Bengal tiger was taken on March 17, 2010.

Its striking white coat is caused by a double recessive allele in its genetic makeup, and occurs naturally only once in every 10,000 births. Indochinese Tiger Credit: Anankkml | Dreamstime Also known as the the Corbett's tiger, the Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti) is found in areas of Cambodia, Laos, Burma and Thailand. Their hides are a darker shade of orange than other subspecies of tigers, and their stripes act as camouflage to help the tigers hide from their prey. Malayan Tiger Credit: Kitsen | Dreamstime The Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni) was only identified as a separate subspecies from the Indochinese tiger in 2004. Although very similar to the Indochinese tiger, the Malayan tiger is smaller in size. It is found exclusively in the moist subtropical forests in the southern tip of Thailand and peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia, according to Panthera, Inc. Siberian Tiger Credit: Helen E.

Grose | Dreamstime The Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), also known as the Amur tiger, is the largest of the tiger subspecies. Wild Siberian tigers are found in the Primosky and Khabarovski Krais areas of the Russian Far East, with another small population of about 35 individuals occurring on the Russia-China border. They can weigh up to 660 pounds (300 kilograms), with the males growing up to more than 10.5 feet (3.3 meters) from head to tail. This photo shows brother and sister Siberian tiger cubs playing hide and seek. Bengal-Siberian Mix Credit: Kitsen | Dreamstime This tiger cub, playing in its enclosure, is of mixed Bengal and Siberian parentage. Siberian tigers have paler orange fur than other tiger subspecies and brown instead of black stripes. Their fur is thicker than that of tigers that live in southern Asia to accommodate for cold winter conditions. South China Tiger Credit: Liumangtiger | Dreamstime Found in central and eastern China, the critically endangered South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) is nearing extinction.

There are currently 47 South China tigers living in 18 zoos in China, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Exact numbers of wild South China tigers, if there are any left, are unknown. This photo of a South China tiger was taken on April 5, 2011. Author Bio Remy Melina, Remy Melina was a staff writer for Live Science from 2010 to 2012. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Hofstra University where she graduated with honors.

previous | next Tiger facts photos and videos, siberian tiger, bengal tiger, amur tiger Bengal Tiger – Panthera tigris tigris 1200-1500 left Siberian (Amurian) Tiger – Panthera tigris altaica 331 left Sumatran Tiger – Panthera tigris sumatrae 136 left Indo-Chinese Tiger – Panthera tigris corbetti Malayan Tiger – Panthera tigris jacksoni ** South China Tiger – Panthera tigris amoyensis 37 left Javan Tiger – Panthera tigris sondaica – extinct since early 1980’s Bali Tiger – Panthera tigris balica – extinct since the 1940’s Caspian Tiger – Panthera tigris virgata – formerly thought to be extinct since the early 1970’s * *1/16/09 A team of scientists from Oxford University and the NCI Laboratory of Genomic Diversity in the USA have discovered that the Caspian Tiger and the Siberian Tiger have the same DNA.

The tiger sub-species studied were the Caspian tiger (Panthera tigris virgata), the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), the Indian – Bengal – tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) and the South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis). The Caspian tiger was found to differ by only one nucleotide of its mitochondrial DNA from the Siberian tiger: other tiger sub-species differ by at least two nucleotides. **In 2004, the tigers of Peninsular Malaysia were recognized as a new subspecies, Panthera tigris jacksoni, when a genetic analysis found that they are distinct in mtDNA and micro-satellite sequences from tigers of northern Indochina, P. t. corbetti (Luo et al., 2004). However, Mazak and Groves (2006) found no clear morphological differences (in cranial measurements or pelage characteristics) between tigers from Peninsular Malaysia and those elsewhere in Indochina, and argue for inclusion in P. t. corbetti. P. t.

jacksoni is provisionally accepted here. The geographic division between P. t. jacksoniand P. t. corbetti is unclear as tiger populations in northern Malaysia are contiguous with those in southern Thailand (T. Lynam pers. comm. 2008). Misc: This species has been (and is still) widely hunted throughout its range for sport, for the fur trade, and for the traditional Asian medicine market. For the medicine trade – no part of the Tiger’s body goes unused (see diagram below). The tiger is one of the best known mammals, and has become a symbol everywhere for conservation. Today, sadly, there are more tigers in captivity then exist in the wild. There are thought to be between 5,000 and 10,000 tigers in U.S. cages and 90% of them are in miserable roadside zoos, backyard breeder facilities, circus wagons and pet homes. Read about the conviction of those involved in canned hunts in the US. The numbers on the tiger illustrate parts of the tiger that are traded on the black market. These myths are why the tiger has been hunted nearly to extinction.

Size and Appearance: The largest of all the living cats, the tiger is immediately recognizable by its unique reddish – orange coat with black stripes. Stripe patterns differ among individuals and are as unique to the animal as are fingerprints to humans. The dark lines above the eyes tend to be symmetrical, but the marks on the sides of the face and body can be different. Males have a prominent ruff or collar, which is especially pronounced in the Sumatran tiger. One single white cub was found in the wild and taken by a hunter who killed his mother and normal colored siblings. He was named Mohan and is the progenitor of most white tigers now in captivity. White tigers would never survive in the wild as the white coat is only produced through severe inbreeding. White tigers have brown stripes and crystal blue eyes, and some specimens in captivity have no stripes at all. Black tigers have been reported, but only a single pelt from illegal traders remains the only evidence. The pelt shows that the black only occurs on the top of the head and back, but turns into stripes down the sides, unlike in other cats that are completely and truly black (or melanistic).

Body size of the tiger varies with latitude, the smallest occurring at low latitudes in Indonesia and the largest at high altitudes in Manchuria and Siberia. The largest, the Siberian tiger can reach weights exceeding 700 pounds and reach lengths of 10+ feet, and the smallest, the Indonesian or Bali tiger weighing a mere 200 pounds with a total length of 7 ft. While Amur Tigers are usually the largest tigers in captivity the Indian tigers in the wild have proven to be larger than any recorded Siberian cats. Female Bengal tigers (panthera tigris tigris) will average 300 pounds and males 450. Several in Nepal have been recorded between 550 and 700. The largest Siberian on record is 845 pounds. The Guiness Book of Records has one tiger in India at 857 pounds, shot by a hunter from Philadelphia in 1967, near what is now Corbett Tiger Reserve.” Scientists in Russia report that no tigers immobilized by the Russian team have weighed as much as those in Chitwan. It probably is a function of habitat quality.

Siberian tigers have the potential for being the largest, and captive ones are larger than captive Bengals. But in the wild the prey base in Russia is not abundant enough for those tigers to realize their full potential. Prey is more scattered and the Russian tigers need huge territories to capture sufficient food, so much more energy is expended in the food quest. In sanctuaries tigers have lived up to 26 years, as compared to 15 in the wild. Tigers only live 10-12 years in most zoos. Habitat: Tigers occupy a wide variety of habitats including tropical evergreen forests, deciduous forests, coniferous woodlands (Taiga), mangrove swamps, thorn forests and grass jungles. The factors common to all of the tiger’s habitats are some form of dense vegetative cover, sufficient large prey, and access to water. Tigers are extremely adept swimmers and readily take to water. They have been recorded easily swimming across rivers achieving distances of just under 20 miles. The tiger also spends much of its time during the heat of the day during hot seasons half submerged in lakes and ponds to keep cool.

Indian tigers generally have a range of 8-60 square miles, based on availability of prey. Sumatran tigers have a range of about 150 square miles. Due to the severity of the climate and lack of prey, the Siberian tiger can require a range of 400 square miles. Tigers have lost more than 40% of their habitat in the past decade. (1) Distribution: Indian subcontinent, Amur River region of Russia, China, North Korea, Sumatra, Indonesia, and Continental southeast Asia. In 2004, the Malayan tiger was declared a separate sub species from the Indochinese sub species of tiger. Found exclusively in the southern part of the Malay Peninsula. It is the third largest tiger population behind the Bengal tiger and the Indochinese tiger. Reproduction and Offspring: Tigers will mate throughout the year, but most frequently between the end of November to early April. After a gestation of 103 days a litter of up to 7 cubs, although averaging 3, is born. Cubs will leave their mothers as young as 18 months old, or as old as 28 months old.

During the first year, mortality can be as high as 35%, and of that 73% of the time it is the entire litter that is lost. The main causes of infant mortality are fire, floods, and infanticide, with the latter being the leading cause. Females tend to reproduce around 3 ½ years and males just under 5 years. In captivity, females have produced through age 14. Social System and Communication: Tigers, like most cats are solitary, however, they are not anti-social. Males not only come together with females for breeding, but will feed with or rest with females and cubs. There have actually been reports of some tigers socializing and traveling in groups. Females with cubs have also been seen coming together to share meals. Most likely, in all of these cases they are somehow related. Males will kill cubs from other males, so it is likely that the offspring in question is his own. The females most likely are mother and daughter with overlapping home ranges.

Hear our roars, chuffs, hisses, snarls, calls, and growl sounds HERE Hunting and Diet: Tigers hunt primarily between dusk and dawn, and they attack using the same method as do the lions. They stalk, chase, and attack, bringing down and killing the prey with usually a bite to the nape of the neck or the throat. The bite to the throat allows the tiger the ability to suffocate the prey bringing death relatively quickly and painlessly. Smaller animals are often killed with the bite to the nape of the neck allowing the tiger to to fracture the vertebrae and compress the spinal chord of its victim. Once killed, the tiger either drags or carries its meal into cover. The tiger’s enormous strength allows it to drag an animal that would require 13 adult men to move. Tigers consume anywhere from 35 – 90 pounds of meat at one sitting, beginning at the rump of the prey. If undisturbed, they will return to the carcass for 3-6 days, feeding until it has completely consumed its kill.

Because tigers are not the most successful of hunters, only killing 1 in every 10-20 attempts, it may be several days before it has its next meal. In the wild, cooperative hunting among tigers has also been observed where couples and families hunted like a pride of lions. This, however, is the exception not the rule. Unlike the other felids, man is a regular part of the tiger’s diet and has earned them greatest reputation as man-eaters. The most common prey items are various species of deer and pig, but they will also take crocodiles, young elephants and rhinos, monkeys, birds, fish, leopards, bears, and even their own kind. They have also been reported to eat carrion. Status: IUCN: Endangered Felid TAG recommendation: Tiger (Panthera tigris). The SSP for tigers supports a target population of 150-160 individuals for each of three subspecies. The Amur (formerly called the Siberian) Tiger SSP is nearly 20 years old, has functioned well with this target population, and has periodically obtained new founders from orphan situations or as F1 captive-born individuals from Europe.

Its goals are not likely to change in the future. The Sumatran Tiger SSP is well under its target population, and additional spaces are readily available, especially in zoos located in warmer climates. Additional founders are periodically available from Sumatra via captive-bred individuals or wild-born tigers that must be removed from the wild. At this time, the Indochinese or Corbett’s tiger also is included in the RCP (albeit present in only four zoos). Given the small founder population presently in the North American population, additional animals from range-country zoos that are unrelated to those in North America are being sought. Although still present in large but declining numbers, no space is allocated for hybrid tigers (including white tigers, tabby tigers, “snow tigers” and ligers since they are all inbred, crossbred, and suffer congenital birth defects). No purebred Bengal tigers exist in North America because the zoos hybridized all of their stock trying to produce white tigers that could survive the inbreeding necessary to create the white coat. Due to this and a lack of space, this race will not be targeted by the Felid TAG for inclusion in its RCP.

No one who breeds tigers outside of the Species Survival Plan which is only for AZA accredited zoos is really breeding for conservation. How rare is this cat ? The largest wild population of tigers are in India. According to statistics released in 2009 there are 1,200 – 1,500 tigers left on 27 wildlife reserves in 11 states in India. Tigers are no longer “burning bright” in our world’s most famous tiger preserves. Tiger numbers in the wild are thought to have plunged from 100,000 at the beginning of the 20th century to between 1,500 and 3,500 today. A century ago, India had some 100,000 tigers. Now, officials estimate they number about 1,200 – 1,500. The Bali, Javan, and Caspian subspecies, have become extinct in the past 70 years. The South China tiger is on the verge of extinction, with just 20 to 30 remaining in the wild.

The International Species Information Service lists in captivity 1,098 worldwide in captivity with 256 being registered with ISIS in the U.S. as purebred tigers, as of 2009. There are NO purebred Bengal tigers in the U.S. The only purebred tigers in the U.S. are in AZA zoos and include 133 Amur (AKA Siberian), 73 Sumatran and 50 Malayan tigers in the Species Survival Plan. All other U.S. captive tigers are inbred and cross bred and do not serve any conservation value. The rampant Pay to Play industry, that breeds these generic tigers solely to produce cubs that are marketed as “orphaned” or “rejected” to unwitting patrons is largely responsible for the decline of wild tiger populations. Cubs can only be used for public contact, according to USDA guidelines, until they are 12 weeks old. After that they are considered too dangerous and can bite off a finger. Animal exploiters constantly breed tigers to have plenty of profitable cubs on hand for petting and photo sessions.

Once they reach maturity they are often relegated to tiny, barren breeding pens to create more cubs, or can end up in “canned hunts” and on the menu because lions are not currently a protected species and it is impossible to tell tiger meat from lion meat. Update 1/4/2010: According to official statistics, as many as 59 tiger deaths were reported from across India in 2009 till December 8. Of the 59, 15 were “poached” while the remaining 44 died due to “illness and other causes”. Madhya Pradesh topped the charts with 13 tiger deaths followed by Assam (10), Karnataka (9) and Uttarakhand (7). 2009 saw the deaths of 85 tigers; more than a two-fold increase in the number of tiger deaths compared to 2008 and almost a two-fold increase compared to 2007. In all, 28 big cats were killed in 2008 and 30 in 2007.

NGOs, nevertheless, peg the number of tiger deaths at more than 53 in 2010 which is approximately one per week. Tiger Species - Tiger Facts and Information Tiger Species Posted by Tigers-World | Jan 16, 2014 | Species | 0 | Tiger Subspecies Overview There are 6 remaining subspecies of tigers in the world. Protecting them is very important both in the wild and in captivity. It isn’t enough for these animals to merely survive only in captivity. We need to make sure they are able to continue surviving out there in the wild as well. Tigers have evolved for almost two millions years and are able to adapt to a variety of different things in their environment. Yet when their environment is destroyed and large numbers of them are killed they don’t have a chance. The South China Tiger The South China Tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) is the one that most researchers are the most worried about. This particular species is believed to possibly be extinct over the next decade or even earlier. Hopefully the efforts in place will help to prevent that from happing.

Right now this animal is listed on the top ten of endangered animals which isn’t a good sign as to their future though. The Siberian Tiger The largest and most well known is the Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica). This particular subspecies is only found in far east Siberia where they are protected. The biggest problem for them is their own genetics. They are closely related even with those that aren’t decedents of each other. This makes effective breeding even in captivity difficult and that can be a natural threat to this particular species of tiger. The Sumatran Tiger The Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) is the smallest of all tiger subspecies. There are about 500 or less of them left in the world. There are aggressive efforts in place to help protect them and to get their numbers back up. However, these efforts have really only been in place since 2007. The fact that they are only found in Sumatra also means that they continue to be victims of poachers and hunters because the laws can’t always be enforced there as strictly as they should be.

Tiger Species Facts The Bengal Tiger One of the larger subspecies of tigers is the Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris). They have the highest numbers when it comes to them in the wild too with about 1,400 of them. While they have two or three times more population than the other species they are still at a very high risk of being extinct so they are currently classified as being endangered as the other subspecies. The Malayan Tiger The Malayan Tiger (Panthera tigris jacksoni) is one that we know the least about. Until 2004 they weren’t even recognized as their own species. They too are endangered with only about 600-800 of them remaining in the wild. They often conflict with humans due to the fact that they prey on livestock when it is readily available. The Indochinese Tiger The last subspecies is the Indochinese Tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti) and only few hundreds of them remain in the wild. Their main diet consists of wild pigs, deer, and even cattle thanks to the many people that have invaded their natural habitat to make their own living quarters.

In the 1930’s there were more than 2,000 of them but open hunting for them as well as the destruction of their habitat has changed all of that. Conservation Efforts There are many efforts around the world in place to help protect these different subspecies of tigers. Educating people of all ages about them as well as their role in the ecosystem is very important. That way people can discover why keeping these tigers alive is extremely important. While there are not precise information, there are approximately between 3,062 and 7,500 tigers remaining alive out there in the world today. This includes both those in the wild and in captivity. Reaching out to do your part will help to ensure that these animals are able to continue being part of our world. We definitely need to see these species of tigers living for millions more years not less than a decade which is possible if changes don’t occur now because we simply are running out of time.

Share: Siberian Tigers, Siberian Tiger Pictures, Siberian Tiger Facts - National Geographic 660 lbs (300 kg) Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Siberian (or Amur) tigers are the world's largest cats. They live primarily in eastern Russia's birch forests, though some exist in China and North Korea. There are an estimated 400 to 500 Siberian tigers living in the wild, and recent studies suggest that these numbers are stable. Though their northern climate is far harsher than those of other tigers, these animals have some advantages. Northern forests offer the lowest human density of any tiger habitat, and the most complete ecosystem. The vast woodlands also allow tigers far more room to roam, as Russia's timber industry is currently less extensive than that of many other countries. Population and Conservation Tigers are the largest of all wild cats and are renowned for their power and strength. There were once eight tiger subspecies, but three became extinct during the 20th century. Over the last hundred years, hunting and forest destruction have reduced overall tiger populations from hundreds of thousands to perhaps 3,000 to 5,000.

Tigers are hunted as trophies and also for body parts that are used in traditional Chinese medicine. All five remaining tiger subspecies are endangered, and many protection programs are in place. Poaching is a reduced—but still very significant—threat to Siberian tigers. Behavior Tigers live alone and aggressively scent-mark large territories to keep their rivals away. They are powerful hunters that travel many miles to find prey, such as elk and wild boar, on nocturnal hunts. Tigers use their distinctive coats as camouflage (no two have exactly the same stripes) and hunt by stealth. They lie in wait and creep close enough to attack their victims with a quick spring and a fatal pounce. A hungry tiger can eat as much as 60 pounds (27 kilograms) in one night, though they usually eat less. Despite their fearsome reputation, most tigers avoid humans; however, a few do become dangerous maneaters. These animals are often sick and unable to hunt normally, or live in areas where their traditional prey has vanished. Females give birth to litters of two to six cubs, which they raise with little or no help from the male.

Cubs cannot hunt until they are 18 months old, and remain with their mothers for two to three years, when they disperse to find their own territory.

Question: What is the largest living sub-species of the tiger?
Answer: Siberian tiger